Steam generator



Y H. NELSON STEAM GENERATOR Filed April 3. 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet l n I L I I /f A Feb. 2l, 1928. 1,659,609

- H.- NELSON STEAM GENERATOR Filed April s. 192e 2 sheets-snee: 2

A? III Patented -Feb. 21, 1928. y

UNITED N.STATES HENBYNELSON, OF GWINNER, NORTH DAKOTA.l

STEAM GENERATOR.

Application filed April 3, 192.6. Serial No. 99,600.

This invention relates to a steam generator and particularly to a steam generatorwhich may be used for cleaning milk, cream and ice cream cans. cream are now handled m bulk at ereameries by placing the same in cans, andit becomes necessary for the creameries to clean these cans. Ithas been found that to most eifec tively clean the cans the same mustbe first washed with boiling water and saturated steam and then sterilized and dried by means of temperature. y

lt is an object of this invention therefore lo provide a steam generator which will provide means for supplying hot water and saturated steam and also will provide means h l versebar 14 issecured to the lower portions for supplying super-heated steam.

It is another object of the invention to provide in a steam generator, an efficient means forrapidly generating steam in a steam tank. f

A further object of the invention islto` provide a steam generator having a hot water and steam tank, heating means, and

means for creating a continuous.circulation of the hottest water in the tankthrough the heating means torapidly generate steam in the tank. y

Still another object ofthe invention is to provide a steam generator having a hot water and steam tank, a fuel burner, meansy for heating the water-.in the tank, and a chamber adapted to super-heat steam dis? cliarged from the tank or to additionally heat water discharged from the tank.

These and other objects andl advantages of the invention will more fully appear from the following description made in connection with the accompanying drawings in which like reference characters refer .to the -same or similar parts throughout the various views, and in which: i

Fig. 1 is a view in side elevation of the device, certain parts thereof being broken away; Y i y y Fig. 2 is a vertical section taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1, as indicated by the arrows;

Fig. 3 is a plan view ofthe device, certain of the parts being broken away; v

Fig. 4 is a section taken on the line 4 4 Milk, Cream and ice f super-heated steam at a relatively'y highV of Fig. 3, as indicated by the arrows, and showing the iuventors two wayvalve 1n one `position Fig. 5 a view similar to Fig. 4 showing `the two way valve in another position, and

. Fig. 6` a view in side elevation showing the inventor-s supeuheating chamber, certain parts thereof being broken away.V y y Referring to the drawings, a platform or table isprovided having legs 7V and top 8.

Secured to" one end of the table by means of.

the band 9 is the hot waterand steam tank 10 having a steam gauge l1 and pressure valve 12 lof standard construction at the top thereof and the water glass 13 of standard construction placed at one side of the tank :itsubstantially the center thereof. A trans burners 19and20 are of any standard type" and support the burner casing 21, which in turnl supports the heat directing casing 22. Heater coil casings 23 are placed above the casings 22 and are supported from the top tl of the table and have fines 23 extending through the top of the table. l

A casing 24 extends from adjacent the central portion of the tank 1() downwardly through the bottom of the tank and is secured to the tank by mea-ns of the bracket 25. Casing24t is open ended and has ,an aperture 24 adjacentits lower end within the tank. y plug 26Ta screwed in aportion thereof leads; from the lower end of the casing 24 to the interior of the coil casings 23 where it is` connected by suitable fittings to the lower ends of the heating coils 27 situated in the casings 23 over the burners 19 and 20 respectively.v The upper ends of the heating coils are vconnected to the conduit`28, which communicates with casing 29 extending into the tank ladjacent the central portion of the tank and slightly above the conduit 24.. The casing 29 is supported in the tank by A conduit 26 having the drain` -upper portion of the. tank preferably at the top thereof for the discharge'of steam therefrom. A hot water discharge conduit having the control valve 3G therein preferably extends through the central portion of the casing 29 and cap 30, and has an open end communicating with the interior of the tank. A three way litting connects con duits 33 and with conduit 37. Conduit 37 extends downwardly through the central open portion of the heating coil above the master burner 19 and has secured thereto' at its lower end below the. heating coil 27 at point directlyabove the master burner the chamber 38. Chamber 38 is in the shape of a hollow truncated section of a sphere and has two threaded hubs on` its upper truncated surface at opposite sides thereof, one of which is yadapted to receive the threaded end of the conduit 37, the other of which is adapted to receive the threaded end Vof the outlet conduit 39. Between the two hubs on the chamber 33, a transverse grooved portion 38a is formed. The outlet conduit 39 extends upwardly from the chamber 33 and communicates with the hotwater and steam nozzle at the end thereof, the nozzle et() extending upwardly through the top 8 of the table. A two way valve-designatedgenei'ally by the numeral 4:1 is placed in the Voutlet conduit 39 and is adapted to control the discharge of steam and hot water into the nozzle 40 and the steam hosellQ communicating withon'e passage in `the valve. The two way valve lll'is illustrated in Fig. d of the drawings as being turned to such aV position as to permit communication between the outlet conduit 39 and the steam nozzle fl()l mid to close communication between conduit 39 and steam hose 42. In Fig. 5 the two way valve is shown turned to such a posit-ion as to closecommunication between the outlet conduit 39 and the steam nozzle l0 and to permit communication betweeny the outlet conduit 39 and the steam hose e2. The valve can also be turned to permit communication between the conduit 39 and both'the nozzle d-Ofand' hose 42. The top: 8 of the table has a circular aperture formed therein* about the steam nozzle 40 within which drip pan 43 is adapted to be placed, the drip pan i3-being provided with a central aperture to permit 4the removal therefrom of hot water and dirt. In Fig. l of the drawings an inverted milk can A illustrated in dotted lines is shown placed in position for cleaning resting on the drip pan over the nozzle.

Opera tion.

The valve 32 is first operated to permit the vtank lO to be filled about half full of water as indicated in F ig. lof the drawings, the level of the water in the tank being determinable by an inspection of the water glass 13. The tank is kept about half full of water at all time.;`I so as to maintain an approximately constant water level in the tank. The two burners 19 and 20 are next lit, the burners being supplied with fuel from the tank l? through the fuel inlet conduit 18.`

Coils 27 will be heated by the burners 19 and 2O and water will circulate from adjay ,centl the top water level in the tank through in the tank adjacent the water level there` in, and due to the fact that the hottest water in the tank will naturally rise to the top water level therein, a continuous circulation of the hottest water in the tank will be obtained through the heating coils. Steam will therefore vbe very quickly generated within the tank l0; Afterthe generating process has gone on for some time, and the desired pressure of steam has been obtained within the tank, as may be observed from pressure gauge l1, the auxiliary burner 20 may be turned olf and the master burner 19 will carry on the generation process. The valve 36 may now be opened, and the. valve 34 closed to permit hot water adjacent the top water level 'in the tank to circulate' through the conduit 35, conduit 37, chamber 3S, and outlet conduit 39, and by proper adjustment of the two way valve ll to either the steam hose 42 or the steam nozzle 40.

Part of the hot water circulating through this system will be converted in chamber 33 into saturated steam at relatively low pressure; the remaining water will be raised to the boiling point if not already so heated. Saturated steam and boiling water may then be discharged from either the nozzle d0 or the steam hose 42, as desired'. When a milk can is desired to be cleaned it will be placed over the steam nozzley ll() and steam and hot water will be projected upwardly from the nozzle lO to the inner side ofthe can to properly clean the saine. Steam and hot water may be run through the steam hose to clean the outside ofv the can.

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When it is desired to sterilize and dryl a milk can the valve 36 will be shut off and valve 34. opened. Saturated steam fromv the top of the tank will then circulate through thereof higher than the temperature ofthe steam in the tank and accordingly to raise the pressure thereof. The steam` so superheated will be discharged from chamber 3.84

through outlet conduits 39 and either the steam nozzle 4() or the hose 42 as desired, where it may be applied to milk cans. This steam accordin,f ,rly` will not be fully saturated and will be ofthe proper tyqoe to sterilize milk cansand dry the same. y

It is possible to supply merely hot water, or any combination of hot water and steam at the same temperature as the steam in the tank from eitherthe steam nozzle 40 or the steam hose 42. If this is desiredthe burner 20 may be lit to carry on the generation process and the burner 19 turned ott. To supply hot water alone to the nozzle 40 or hose 42,

valve `34 will be shut oli? and valve 36 opened.

To supply a mixture of hot water and saturated steam tothe nozzle 40 or the hose 42, the two `valves 84 and 36 may both be partially opened. To supply steam alone, valve 3G will beturned off and the valve 84 opened.

By means of the return circulation feature of thedevice, steam can very quickly be generated in the tank. After steam has once been generated in the tank practically any desired combination of steam and hot water can be supplied through the steam outlet 39, at practically any desired pressure. Hot water alone can be supplied, hot water and saturated steam at varying pressures may be supplied, saturated steam alone may be supplied, andsuper-heated steam alone may be supplied. There will be no danger at any time so long as any water remains in the tank that the heating coils 27 will burn out. The aperture Q4@ in the lower portion of conduit 24 acts as a drain for the tank, and will insure the supply of water through theheating coils. The tank can be cleaned and drained atany time by unscrewing the drain plug 26%` The grooved portion 38a in the chamber 38 will act to cause steam orhot` of milk cans and like articles, the same` may be used for supplying steam for any c purpose, such for example, as for Washing automobiles, for cleaning clothes, etc.

The device is simple in construction and comprises but comparatively few parts. The device has been successfully operated in actual practice and has been found byconsiderable actual usage to be Very etiicient for` the purposes `set forth.

It isunderstood that various changesmay be made in the form, details, arrangement and proportions of the various parts Without departing fromfthe scope of applicants invention, which, generally stated, consists in the matter shown and described and set forth in the appended claims. i

`What isclaimed is:` i

l. A steam` generator comprising a hot water and steamptauk, a fuel burner, a heating coil `over said burner, a steam discharge conduit extending from `the steam portion `of said tank, a het water discharge conduit extending from the h ot water portion of said tank, a conduit"receiving from said discharge conduits,"a heating chamber over said fuel burner to which said last mentioned con`- duit delivers, an outlet from said chamber, and means for regulating said steam dis charge and water discharge conduits to supply any desired mixture of hot water and steam to said heating chamberwhen said generator is` in operation, whereby superheated steamat desired temperatures, saturatedsteam at desired temperatures, hot water` or a mixture of hot water and satu-` rated4 steam may be discharged from said outlet in saidl chamben 2, A steam generator comprising a hot water and steam tank, a fuel burner, a heating coil over said burner adapted to heat the water in said tank, a valve controlled steam discharge conduit extending from the steam portion of said vtank, a valve controlled hot water discharge conduit entending from the hot water portion of said tank, a conduit receiving from said discharge conduits, a heating chamber over said fuel sof burner towhich said last mentioned conduit delivers, and an outlet from said chamber, whereby when said generator is in operation either the valve of said steam discharge conm duit may be opened and the valve of said water discharge conduit closed to supply su perheated steam `to said outlet, or the valve of said water discharge conduit may be opened to supply hot water and saturated steam to said outlet.

`3. A steam generator comprising a water and steam tank, a burner for heating the Water in said tank, means for discharging steam from said tank, means for discharging i water from said tank, a conduit int-o which said two means empty, a super-heater chamber over said burner to which said conduit leads, said superheater having a constricted area at the lower end thereof situated directly over said burner through which all steam or water from said conduit must pass, and a conduit beyond said constricted area permitting the discharge of steam from said superheater.

4. A steam generator comprising a hot water and steam tank, a fuel burner, a heating coil above said fuelburner, means for causing a continuous circulation ot the hottest water in said tank through said heating coil andback to said tank, a discharge conduit from said tank extending downwardly through said coil, a heating chamber directly above said burner, below said heating coil and connected at one side to said conduit, an upwardly extending outlet oonduit connected to the other side of said chamber, there beingl a downwardly extending grooved portion in said chamber forming a eonstricted opening therein between the two sides thereof connected to said conduits.

5. A. steam generator comprising a hot water and steam tank, a master fuel burner, an auxiliary fuel burner, means over said bui'ners for heating water in said tank, a valve cont-rolled steam discharge conduit e1:- tending from the steam portion ot said tank, a valve controlled water discharge conduit extending from the water portion of said tank, a heating chamber above said master fuel burner, a conduit receiving from said discharge conduits and leading to said heating chamber, and an outlet from said heating chamber, whereby` in operation said auX- ilary burner may be lit to furnish hot water and steam in said tank and said discharge conduits maybe controlled tovsupplylany desiredl mixture" of saturated Isteam and water` to `said outlet, or saidmaster burnermay be lit andsaid'discharge vconduit controlled to l supply super-heated steam to' said outlet or a. mixture' of hot water-and 4saturated steam y at higher temperature than the steainin said tank at said outlet. y

A steam generator, comprising a water and steam tank, a burner tor heating the water in said tank, means for discharging; steam trom said tanln meansfor discharging water discharged from said lirst mentioned i means will pass through said eonstricted area.

In testimony whereof I al'hX my signature.

HENRY NELSON. 

